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Railroads operate by a uniform set of rules; the sequence and duration of whistle or horn blasts relates to the specific action involved. These developed at a time when crew members had to perform their duties without the aid of radio or similar communication, and some even to back to the days of hand brakes and telegraph keys.
The practice of "two long, one short, one (sometimes very) long", has been prescribed since engineers first had to warn vehicles and pedestrians at street and highway crossings. It's possible that some states mandate sounding a warning at all grade crossings, but I'm not aware of any specific laws. More often, the operating rulebook (usually called an employees' timetable) will list specific points where the general rule may be waived.
There are still plenty of fools out there who play "chicken" at rail crossings. An engineer runs a significant risk (perhaps as much as 1 in 3 over a 25-year career) that if his job involves medium-or-greater speeds, he will be involved in a fatal crossing accident, and there is very little he can do to stop in time. Even more fearsome is the possibility that he might encounter a tank truck containing flammable liquids.
Reminds me of the Piedmont derailing a few years ago when the train plowed into a low-boy flatbed that had gotten hung up on the rail crossing when the truck's driver ignored a warning sign.
We are moving to Apex in just a couple of weeks and our house literally backs up to the tracks. We'll be so close that we could sit on our roof and hit the tracks with a rock.
The home owners said that the train runs about four times daily and that we'll hear every one. They mentioned that some trains seem whistle happy and lay on the horn while others seem more understanding of the residential area. However, they're all required to blow the horn at the crossing.
We love the sound of trains although they've always been at a bit of a distance. I imagine they'll seem really really loud initially and then we'll just get used to it. We loved the house and neighborhood enough to risk it.
I guess it depends on where the home is, but I am guessing there will be more than 4 every day
I guess it depends on where the home is, but I am guessing there will be more than 4 every day
A bigger concern would be if these are the same rails that will be used IF we ever get any type of mass transit because then those rails would be used more often.
We are moving to Apex in just a couple of weeks and our house literally backs up to the tracks. We'll be so close that we could sit on our roof and hit the tracks with a rock.
The home owners said that the train runs about four times daily and that we'll hear every one. They mentioned that some trains seem whistle happy and lay on the horn while others seem more understanding of the residential area. However, they're all required to blow the horn at the crossing.
We love the sound of trains although they've always been at a bit of a distance. I imagine they'll seem really really loud initially and then we'll just get used to it. We loved the house and neighborhood enough to risk it.
It's great that the homeowners were so forthcoming about the train noise... I know they should be, but It's good they were!
I grew up in a home that backed up to a railroad track. We were well within rock throwing range as well. When we first moved in I thought my life was OVER. It was loud and awful. Eventually I forgot the track was there. When I went away to college and came back home (for a year or so) I was again reminded of the track- moral is, I think you get used to it, and almost forget its there.
Although were I lived we never heard the trains horn. It just zoomed on by. I think it would be worse to hear the horn all the time than to have the train zoom by.
I was still curious as to how much traffic passes through Apex and found this on the trainorders board. Apparently not very much at all, it looks like four trains a day....
"Hamlet is still a major classification yard, it is the main yard for the entire Florence Division. Like you stated, the S-Line between Raleigh and Petersburg,VA. has been ripped up, and now only the 2 road switchers (F741 & F742) are the only 2 scheduled trains that use the Aberdeen Sub(Hamlet-Raleigh), along with Amtrak 91 & 92. All the lines radiating out of the yard on the south end through downtown are still very busy."
I notice train horns more now since the leaves have fallen. I like the sound of trains to me its the sound the economy is doing good.
I like trying to figure if I am hearing a freight train horn or Amtrak as the 'Piedmont' has a different pitch.
Train horns are needed not only warn that a train is coming even though I sometimes wonder if they are ignored since people still so impatient they run around down gates like the multiple fatality a couple years ago in Garner.
This past weekend someone was walking the tracks (which is illegal) around 9:30am in morning in Mebane. Man struck, killed by train near Mebane | MyFOX8.com
Horns are useful to inform get off the tracks including animals.
I like trying to figure if I am hearing a freight train horn or Amtrak
Amtrak has some killer horns! I do quite a bit of railfanning in Fayetteville and it's always between 11:00 pm and 4:00 am. You would be amazed that you can actually hear a long freight coming 10 minutes before it gets there and that's even without it blowing the horn. I'll see a clear signal and shortly thereafter hear the faint rumbling of a long freight train miles off in the distance. It gets louder as time goes by before finally the gates start coming down, the lights flashing and it flies through town. It's such a cool feeling, one that I hope I never grow tired of!
A bigger concern would be if these are the same rails that will be used IF we ever get any type of mass transit because then those rails would be used more often.
Vicki
There hasn't been any serious contemplation that the tracks (or right of way) in Apex would be used for mass transit.
I thought I recalled the decibel level of train horns being increased sometime in the past 10 years or so. This might be of interest. Says that 2005-2006 there were changes made and new standard set. I think a lot of that was in response to the number of fatalities occurring because people were not stopping at crossings. (The details pertain to Colorado, but still is interesting to read.) Inquire Boulder
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